Water gauge glass cleaner



@et 9 1955 D. c. DE HART WATER GAUGE GLASS CLEANER Filed July 21, 1955 INVENTOR. DANA C- deHART ATTORNEYS v Unite i The present invention relates to improvements in a water gauge glass cleaner. It consists of the combinations, constructions, and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

It is a common practice to provide a water gauge on a boiler, or the like, for the purpose of indicating the level of the water prevailing in the boiler. In the usual construction, the gauge includes a tubular glass, which has its `opposing ends placed in communication with the interior of the boiler by water and steam valves. Thus, in normal operation, a column of water is permitted to ow from the boiler to the tubular glass, thereby disclosing the water level of the boiler.

However, it is a well-known fact that the tubular glass of such a water gauge will become discolored over a period of time, thus precluding an observer from gaining a clear View of the water level in the glass. Accordingly, it is necessary to dismantle the gauge, clean the bore of the tubular glass; and thereafter reassemble the various parts of the water gauge.

As the cardinal object of this invention, it is proposed to provide an attachment that is adapted to be `secured to a conventional water gauge, without requiring any changes in the construction of the latter. This attachment includes a brush arranged in the bore of the tubular glass of the gauge, which may be reciprocated to thoroughly clean the interior of the glass, without requiring removal of the latter after initial assembly. This is a greatly article, and inasmuch as it does not required any change in present installations, its ield of usefulness is thereby enlarged.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification continues. The novel features of the invention will be set forth in the claims hereunto appended.

Drawing For a better understanding of my invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a boiler having a conventional water gauge coupled thereto, with my glass cleaner attachment operatively connected to a water shut-off Valve of the installation;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure l, but illustrating a tubular housing removed so as to allow the cleaner brush to be reciprocated in the gauge; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken along the vertical plane III-III `of Figure l.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should be understood that various changes, or modifications, may be made within the scope of the annexed claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

Detailed description Referring to the drawing in detail, I have shown a fragmentary portion of a boiler A having a tubular glass B mounted exteriorly thereof. The lower end of this glass is placed in communication with the boiler by a water shut-off valve C and a pipe 10, while its upper end is States Patent coupled to the boiler by a steam valve D and a pipe 11. It will be apparent that when both of these valves are opened the level 12 of a column of water in the tubular glass B will be the same as the level 12a of the water contained in the boiler.

In its structural features, the water shut-off valve C is provided with a rotatable and axially-movable stem 14 having a valve 14a at its inner end, which is adapted to bear against a seat in the body 15 when this valve is closed. Moreover, the body 15 has a threaded opening 16 in its bottom (see Figure 3), which normally has a pet cock 17 screwed thereinto.

For the purpose of permitting the interior bore 18 of the tubular glass to be cleaned, I have provided a brush or glass cleaner E therein. This brush may be fashioned from wire, bre glass, or other suitable bristles, and has a flexible shaft or handle F fastened thereto so as to extend downwardly through the opening 16 of the water shut-off valve. inasmuch as the longitudinal axis 19 of the tubular glass B, when extended in the manner shown in Figure 3, will pass through the valve stem 14, a section 20 of the flexible shaft may curve laterally around one side of this stem to allow the shaft to be moved up and down for cleaning operations.

It will be noted that in my installation a nipple 21 is threaded into the opening 16, instead of the pet cock 17. Moreover, a T 22 is coupled to this nipple and has the lower section 23 of the flexible shaft projecting downthrough. As shown, the pet cock 17 is screwed into the horizontal branch 24 of the T. In orderto provide a water-tight housing around the lower section 23 of the exible shaft F, a tube yor housing G is removably screwed into the bottom of the T, as clearly disclosed in Figure 1. This tube has a closed end 2S at its bottom.

When installing my attachment, the valves C and D are' closed, as shown in Figure 2. Thereafter, the glass B and the pet cock 17 are removed from the water shut-off valve C. It will be found convenient to run a copper wire (not shown) up through the opening 16 until it comes out at the top of the valve C. Then the wire may be attached to the lower end 'of the flexible shaft F so as to draw the latter around the valve stem 14 and thence down through the threaded opening 16, with the flexible shaft projecting below this valve for ready grasping by an individual.

Then the nipple 21, T 22 and pet cock 17 may be installed in the manner illustrated in Figures l and 2, either before or after the flexible shaft F is drawn through the water shut-off valve. The flexible shaft may be pulled down until the brush E is confined within a ilanged fitting 26 of the valve C, thus concealing the brush from exterior view. After replacing the glass B and screwing the tube G into the T 22, the valves C and D may be opened. Of course, the bristles of the brush are spaced apart sufciently to allow water from the boiler A to flow through the brush until the water level 12 in the tube B corresponds with the water level 12a in the boiler.

Having thus described the various parts of my water gauge glass cleaner, the use thereof s summarized briey as follows:

Initially, the water shut-oi and steam valves C and D, respectively, are closed, as suggested in Figure 2. The pet cock 17 may be opened to allow the column of water in the tubular glass B to be drained. Then the tube G is unscrewed from the T 22, thus exposing the lower section 23 of the flexible shaft F. The latter may be reciprocated up and down until the bore 18 of the glass is clean. The brush may be left at the lower part of the tubular glass, as shown in Figures l and 3 so as, to be concealed, and then the tube G screwed into the lower end of the T. After these steps have been completed, the valves C and D are reopened.

3 I claim: 1. The combination with upper and lower spaced-apart valves, each having a stem; and a tubular water gauge glass having its ends coupled to the valves; the gauge glass having a bore communicatingwith chambered inte-V riors of the valves; the lower valvedeiiningV a body'fashioned with an opening located on the opposite side of its stem from that of the gauge glass; of a glass cleaner attachment comprising: a glass cleaner reciprocably mounted in the bore of the tubular glass for cleaning the latter; a flexible handle having one end thereof secured to the glass cleaner, and its other end projecting through the opening of said lower valve body, and extending below the latter to constitute a handle section disposed exteriorly of the lower valve; the Flexible. handle being'curved laterally to one side of the lower valve stem; a tubular housing telescoped over the. handle section of the flexible handle; this housing having a closed lower end; and means removably coupling the upper end of the tubular housing to the lower valve body to provide a water-tight enclosure for that portion of the flexible handle which projects below the lower valve.

2. The combination with upper and lower spaced-apart valves, each having a stem; and a tubular water gauge glass having its ends coupled to the valves; the gauge glass having a bore communicating with chambered interiors of the valves; the lower valve dening a body fashioned with an opening located on the opposite side of its stem from that of the gauge glass; of a glass cleaner attachment comprising: a glass cleaner reciprocably mounted in the bore of the tubular glass for cleaning the latter; a flexible handle having one end thereof secured to the glass cleaner, and its other end projecting through the opening of said lower valve body, and extending below the latter to constitute a handle section disposed exterior-ly of the lower valve; the flexible handle being curved laterally to one side of the lower valve stem; a nipple secured to the wall defining said opening in the lower valve to extend therefrom; a T coupled to this nipple; the llexible handle extending through the nipple and the T to a position below theV latter; a tubular housing telescoped over the projecting section of the flexible handle, and being removably secured to one end of the T; the lower end of the tubular housing being closed; the T including a horizontal branch; and a drain pet cock coupled to this branch of the T.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 640,442 Clarke Jan. 2, 1900 839,618 Murphy Dec. 25, 1906 1,252,656 Breen Jan. 8, 1918 1,595,021 Plunkett Aug. 3, 1926 2,322,660 Parsons .lune 22, 1943 2,605,640 Partch et al Aug. 5, 1952 

